Shalaw Fatah, Software Developer

In 2018, Shalaw relocated to Canada from Iraq and began his career shift towards the tech industry. In just two years, Shalaw has become a skilled and passionate self-taught programmer with the goal of acquiring meaningful employment as a software developer in Canada. Previously, Shalaw had a successful career in journalism and translation, translating books between Kurdish and English. In the longer term, Shalaw aspires to help others in a role or organization that allows him to combine his passions for technology and social impact. In his spare time, Shalaw enjoys singing and Mediterranean cuisine

Brett Montrose, Founder and CEO, Streamline Athlete

Brett Montrose is a founder and co-CEO at Streamline Athletes, a Vancouver-based technology startup company that supports high school student-athletes in their journeys to university sport and education. A sports enthusiast with a lifelong entrepreneurial spirit, Brett is also passionate about building community and contributing to initiatives with meaningful social impact.

Masha Rademakers, Settlement Lead, North Shore Multicultural Society

With a background in cultural anthropology and journalism, Masha Rademakers has been working with new immigrants to Canada in the social service field for 3 years. After her immigration from the Netherlands five years ago, she became increasingly aware of the challenges that new immigrants are facing while integrating into Canadian society. In her current capacity, she is program lead of the BC Settlement and Integration Services program, supporting refugee claimants, international students and work permit holders during their immigrational journey to Canada.

Masa Kateb, Manager of Projects, Jumpstart Refugee Talent

Masa Kateb is the Manager of Projects at the refugee-led Jumpstart Refugee Talent, where she helps resettled refugees on the West Coast fulfill their potentials in Canada’s economy and find meaningful work that complements their professional skills. At the Canadian Council for Refugees, she is a Steering Committee Member of the Overseas Protection and Resettlement Working Group. Kateb started her career in the areas of marketing and journalism, serving as Senior Regional Marketing Executive for Hertz in Dubai, looking after the Middle East and Africa region, volunteering for the United World Colleges international boarding schools movement, and working as a journalist for the Syria-based Baladna daily-English Newspaper. In her spare time, she pursues her passions in community organizing for human rights, and as a traditional Syrian storyteller or Hakawatieh. Kateb earned a Bachelor’s in Economics from Damascus University and is a Board Director at the Playwrights Theatre Centre in Vancouver.